


Slow dancing in the dark (joji x reader)

by celestial_063



Category: 88rising, George miller - Fandom, Joji - Fandom
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Beauty and the Beast Elements, Blood, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Kinda, Memory Loss, Reader-Insert, Romance, Slow Burn, Takes place directly after the slow dancing in the dark music video, maybe smut, puns
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-05
Updated: 2018-10-06
Packaged: 2019-07-25 09:03:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16194377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celestial_063/pseuds/celestial_063
Summary: This is a story set after the "slow dancing in the dark" music video. You, having found Joji bleeding out on the floor, decide to help him, taking him home to look after him. The strange man with goat legs cant seem to recall how he ended up with an arrow in his back, bleeding all over the floor in a club you worked at, or much at all really. While you help him regain his memories, maybe he can help you too.





	1. Doing so great, You?

**Author's Note:**

> I own nothing but my story line.
> 
> I love Joji so much as felt the need to write this. I cant grantee regular up dates. I'm in my final year of school and preparing for my very last exams that are coming up. Ether way, I hope you enjoy!!!

Humming quietly to the tune playing through your earphones, you lifted the create of alcohol onto the shelf in the back storage room. The club had already closed, the last of the drunken party goers having left about an hour ago, leaving you by yourself to sort out the stock and clean up. Sure, working in a small dance bar in a run down area wasn't the best job, but hey, it paid well. Most of the time rather famous people would come in, looking for a discrete location to dance or drink away the night without having to worry about paparazzi breathing down their neck, watching their every move, sharing their every mistake. No, this place was different from other, flashier clubs. People came here to be themselves, you get away from it all, to simply lose themselves in the blaring music and bright lights.  
With a small smile, you paused in your reflections to place the last create into place, satisfied with your work. It was a rather cool Wednesday night, and you were looking forward to going home. You pulled out your earphones and checked the time, noting that it was 3 am, time to leave. Walking to the door that leads out behind the bar in the club you pulled it open, glancing around to check that the stools were up on the bar and everything else in place. 

That’s when you saw it.

You froze when your eyes finally reached the dance floor, the white lights flashing in a repeated pattern. It wasn’t the dance floor itself that had made you pause, but rather the man laying on it, a growing puddle of blood blooming red petals around him. 

Finally, your brain kicked in, shaking you out of your trance. You sprinted over to the dance floor and fell to your knees harshly, not caring that they would most likely bruise. There was a red arrow sticking out of his back, no doubt the source of the bleeding.  
“Sir!” you called out placing a hand on his shoulder, hoping to get a response. There was none, he was unresponsive and unconscious. 

You retracted this hand, frantically reaching into your pocket to draw forth your phone, but then you saw it. At first, your attention was mainly focused on his back, skipping over the rest of his body. Now your eyes locked onto his legs… well… what you thought were legs. It took you a second to realise that he was not wearing fuzzy pants, but that he had actual fur. Not quite believing your eyes, you reached out a trembling hand and touched him. It was definitely fur, warm and soft under your fingers. Your eyes continued to trail downwards, discovering that he also had hooves where the not so human man should have had feet.

You placed the phone back in your pocket, your mind racing. No way could you call an ambulance, the guy had fricking goat legs. That couldn’t be good for him, god knows what they might do. 

You started gnawing on your lip. There was no way you could leave him like this, he would die without a doubt if you didn’t do something. He would bleed out all over the floor, never to wake up. No one else would be here until tomorrow night, you had the very last shift to clean up by yourself and no one coming back in until 7 pm. No one else could help him.

But you can.

You stood abruptly, dashing back to the storeroom slamming the door open with a bang. You rushed to where you knew the first aid kit was, the bar always keeping one ready on hand for emergencies. You were back by his side in an instant, the adrenaline fueling your movements.

With a click you opened the top of the kit, pulling on a pair of gloves and taking out the necessary equipment for the task. You started with a pair of scissors, knowing you’d need to cut away the fabric of his clothing, so you could work better. Next, a needle followed by surgical thread. You knew once this arrow came out you were going to need to stitch it up, despite the fact the wound would be small you needed to prevent any further blood loss. This was followed by a clean cloth, to wipe away the blood. Finally, you placed a small bottle besides you with some cotton balls, to clean the wound and prevent infection.

With trembling hands, you brought up the needle to thread it, but the way your hands were shaking was making it difficult.

“Oh, for fuck sake Y/N, pull yourself together you cant waste this time!” You growled out, frustrated.

Suddenly, buried memories started pushing their way into the forefront of your mind.

You could smell rain and smoke, mingling in with the sinister scent of blood. There was crying, it sounded like your own, but you couldn’t be sure. Pain, all through your body, but especially bad in your leg. Reaching an arm out, you dragged yourself across the ground, unable to stand. That’s when you saw it. A scream pierced the air, now you were certain the noise was coming from you.

With a gasp, you reeled back, almost dropping the needle. You needed to breath. Now. Concentrating, you held your breath before slowly exhaling, breathing in for three seconds and exhaling again. You repeated this a few times, until your hands had stopped shaking.

There was no time for the past, the present being the priority and you were conscious of the time you had already wasted. Finally, getting the tread in the needle you placed it aside, picking up the scissors again. The man was wearing a white tux, slowing becoming red as the blood seeped from the wound. Starting at the bottom, you began cutting upwards, careful of the arrow wen you reached it while continuing to go up. The tux and shirt underneath it was now in two, and you peeled both of the now useless garments aside revealing his back.

Now this was the part you were really dreading. Arrows came in many different forms, each with a specific purpose. Some were simple, others were cruel, designed to tear and further damage the flesh when being removed or others created so the tip would break off, staying lodged in the muscle to do further damage and be harder to remove. You hoped it wasn’t one of these.

You braced one hand on his back, the other wrapped firmly around the shaft before pulling. The arrow slipped out with relative ease, the tip being small but sharp. This for you was good news, what wasn’t however, was the fact that the man woke up with a gasp of pain.

He tried to roll onto his back, but you placed your hands firmly on his shoulder to prevent him from doing so. 

“You need to stay still, I’m going to patch you up, you’ll be okay.” You say, keeping your voice soft and also firm, leaving no room for argument. 

The odd man gave a grunt to acknowledge he had herd you, and laid still.

You gave his shoulders what you hoped to be a comforting squeeze, before turning your attention back to the task at hand. Reaching for the cotton and antiseptic bottle, you poor the strong smelling liquid onto the cotton, preparing to wipe down the wound.

“This is going to sting.” You warned, getting a small nod in response. 

You whipped the wound as gently as you could, clearing up the blood with the cloth before finally placing the cotton to the damaged flesh, ignoring the man’s hiss of pain you cleaned it to the best of your abilities.

Once you were done cleaning the wound, you picked up the needle.

“You’re going to need to keep still for this part, I have to stitch up the wound, it’s not big so it’ll be over quickly.” 

You knew the importance of walking a patient through what you were doing, that way the wouldn’t panic when you actually started the procedure. This time, there was no response from him, only deep breathing as if he was trying to calm himself down. 

You yourself had to take a deep breath before threading the curved needle through his skin. He tensed under you, but kept still. It took you no time at all to stitch him up well, considering the size of the wound and the skill you had that came from past experiences. 

“Okay, all done.” You announced, giving the wound a final wipe with the cloth, removing the blood that had accumulated while you were working.  
There was a long silence between the two of you, until you decided to break it.

 

“Are you alright” You asked quietly, afraid that he had slipped back into unconsciousness. This thought was banished when you heard his voice for the very first time. 

“Doing so great, you?” He replied, his voice low ad tinted with sarcasm. 

For the first time since you saw him on the floor, you smiled.


	2. Why you gotta act so nice, this ain’t televised?

Sitting at your kitchen counter you raised your spoon to your lips, chewing your favourite cereal thoughtfully as you stared out of the window of your home, watching the soft rain while you reflected on the events of the previous night. 

You thought getting the man patched up was going to be the most difficult part of the night, oh how wrong you were.

Easy to stay, getting the him to your car was one of the most difficult experiences of your life. Not only was he half unconscious, leaning heavily on your shoulder while you half-pulled-half-dragged him there, but he was weak, it was like he had no idea how to control those crazy legs of his. He wobbled around unstably, as if unsure of his movements and how to control his own feet… hooves… while walking.

Normally, it would have taken you under a minute to get to your car, with him hanging off you it took at least ten.

After much difficulty you had managed to get his slumped body into the passenger seat and buckled up safely. There wasn’t really a question to as where you could have taken goat boy, the only real option being your home.

You were lucky you lived alone, there was no way you would have been able to sneak him into your bedroom and hide him all while going unnoticed. Your eyes drifted to the hall that led to your front door as your eyes regarded the smashed pot on the floor, vacant of flowers. While coming in, the man stumbled, knocking down the pot and almost falling to the floor himself. You were lucky you had managed to catch him, heavily doubting if you had the strength to get him back up once he was down.

Unfortunately, you couldn’t catch the pot too.

It crashed into the floor, painted porcelain shattering over your cold, pail floorboards. These set off the neighbor's dog, it’s bark piercing the silent night air.

You’d managed to drag him further through your house, past your adjoined living and kitchen space to the door that lead to your bedroom.

Thankfully, your room was clean you had noted as you dragged him to your bed, pulling back the covers and helping him into it. You did your best to make him as comfortable as you could, mindful of the pain he must be experiencing due to his still fresh wound. As soon as you had finished, he fell asleep instantly, no doubt his mind and body being exhausted.

With a silent sigh, you made your way over to your draws, pulling out a pair of sweatpants and a crop top, your usual sleeping apparel. On top of this, you gathered a new set of underwear, and a pair of clothes you could wear the following morning, consisting of plain black jeans and a comfy sweater. 

Once you had gathered your clothes, you cast a final glance at the sleeping man, before creeping out of your room and closing the door softly behind you. 

You walked down to the couch in you living space, getting changed into your sleep ware there. When done changing you pulling off an orange blanket that was folded over the back of your grey couch, before settling down into the soft cushions and drawing it over you body. Laying down, you reached for a pillow, tucking it under your head while keeping your arm cradled underneath it.

Easy to say, you didn’t sleep much that night.

Glancing up at the clock above your oven you could see it was 7 am, which was early for you. Usually, you’d get home around 3:30 am and then sleep from 4:00 to 10:00 or 11:00, give or take. This, of course, was your lifestyle. You honestly didn’t mind it, you’d spend most of your day enjoying yourself, usually alone, indulging in your hobbies and interests. Once it hit 6 pm you’d start getting ready for work, being out the door by 6:30 to arrive at work before 7 pm, the bar officially opening to the public at 8 pm, staying active until 2 am, where the very last of the people would file out. From then you would stay a further hour, to pack and clean everything up.

This cycle would repeat itself, generally unbroken. 

With a sigh you ran a hand through your hair before standing up and walking around to the sink to deposit your bowl. 

You decided to go check on the man.

You padded your way softly down the hall, your socked feet making your foot fall quieter. Pausing outside your bedroom door, you reached for the handle and twisted slowly. You opened the door carefully, not wanting to wake him up if he was sleeping. 

He was.

This you were glade of, with the soft light creeping past your closed curtain you’d be able to get a better look at him.

You took a few steps until you were beside your bed, which the sleeping man currently occupied, the sheets and blanket pulled over him to keep away the chill. 

He had soft black hair, not quite long, but long enough for bangs to fall over his forehead and heavy eyebrows that still deemed kind of neat. His nose was rather curved, hocking at the bottom in an unusual, but not unpleasant way. His skin was also surprisingly clear and smooth in appearance.  
He kinda looked Asian too, and young, you thought to yourself.

While your eyes roamed over is face, you couldn’t help but notice the large eyebags resting under his closed eyes. Despite this flaw, he still looked pretty cute  


Suddenly, he stirred, causing you to take a step back.

His eyes fluttered open.

You could see the confusion on his drowsy features as he came to realise the unfamiliar surroundings, clearly unsure of his location and whose bed he was currently in.

Then those eyes fell upon your own, causing you to draw in a sharp breath. They were brown, but a compelling shade that seemed to draw you in for a reason you couldn’t place.

The two of you stared at each other for a slightly uncomfortable amount of time, you were the first to speak. 

“Um hi, I’m Y/N. Sorry I know you must be confused. I found you bleeding out on the floor of the club I work at and decided to help.” You informed him, watching the realization slowly ease some of his confusion. 

“I remember you. Pulled the arrow out and helped me to your car.” He stated, speaking quietly.

His voice was slightly deep, and again, for no reason it seemed to draw you in. 

“About the arrow, how the hell did you get shot and how did you get into the club, I mean I’m pretty sure I locked it after the last customer left?” You questioned. 

He opened his mouth to answer but no sound came out. He closed it, and opened it again but still he said nothing. His eyebrows drew together darkly, and he looked away from you seeming confused. 

“I… I don’t Know… I don’t remember…” He answered, his voice wearing.

“Can you tell me what you do remember, like what you were doing before hand?” 

“I… I can’t… I don’t know… I can’t seem to remember anything” He replied, his eyes coming back to yours, looking lost and confused.

Seeing the almost broken look on his face, you decided to try comfort him.

“hey now, it’s okay I’m sure we can figure it out. Just give it a bit of time, I mean you were hurt pretty badly, you might be in shock.” 

He nodded slowly, seeming unsure. 

“You know my name,” you started, “may I have yours?” 

“George, but I think people call me Joji.”

George, finally you could put a name to his face. Well at least he could remember that.

“Well, Joji, I’m going to go grab you some painkillers from the kitchen if you don’t mind, I’m sure you’re feeling pretty sore.” You inform him, turning on your heals and heading towards the door.

“Wait,” Joji calls out, making you pause. “Why you gotta act so nice, this ain’t televised?”

“I’m sorry?” You respond, stopping at his strange choice of words. 

Quickly realising how strange it sounded, he hastily said more.  
“I mean you didn’t have to do this, you could have just called an ambulance and then wipe your hands clean of me. I mean taking me to your home and looking after me, it just seems like a bit much.”

You were silent for a second as your eyes assessed the man sitting up in your bed.

“well… I couldn’t have called an ambulance… not when you have goat legs.”

There was a silence between you, now it was his turn to question what you said. 

“what do you mean by goat legs, is that some weird sort of insult or something, there’s nothing wrong with my le-“ he paused as he lifted the blanket up to glance at his legs before paling and dropping tit back down again. 

“Oh my god…” he trailed off, a shocked expression plastered over his features. 

Gingerly, he lifted the blanket and looked again, however this time he didn’t drop them. Instead, he threw them back with a scream.

“This is going to be a long mourning…” you sighed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey um sorry if there were alot of errors here... I tend to skim past mistakes on my own and don't have a beta reader to help out there. With that said,I hope there aren't any major issues and if you spot some feel free to point them out. Also, writing conversation and speech has never been my strong point, but I hope I can improve that while writing this fic!


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